Sunoco Checks In

PHILADELPHIA -- Sunoco Inc., operator of more than 550 convenience stores, intends to keep a closer eye on sales of cigarettes and alcohol by reaching a deal with Woodbury, N.Y.-based Intelli-Check Inc. to buy 75 age verification units for company-owned and franchised stores.

The IDentiScan verification units will be added to APlus c-stores in Ohio, which is one of a handful of states that has passed affirmative defense legislation encouraging retailers to use scanners to verify the age of would-be purchasers of age-restricted products such as alcohol and tobacco. The units will initially be distributed to Sunoco?s company-owned stores and then to franchised Sunoco retail outlets in the state. Sunoco has previously purchased units for its New York retail outlets.

"Sunoco has selected our product as the oil company?s standard for age-verification units, which are being deployed to help protect its retail outlets from inadvertently selling age-restricted products to underage purchasers," said Frank Mandelbaum, chairman and CEO of Intelli-Check.